U.S. Tightens Immigration Vetting With USCIS Freezes, H‑1B Social‑Media Checks and Shorter Work Permits

The coordinated steps, rooted in a June travel‑restriction proclamation, extend scrutiny to asylum seekers plus applicants tied to 19 countries, leaving implementation details and timelines unsettled.

Overview

A Dec. 2 USCIS memo orders holds on all Form I‑589 asylum and withholding cases, pauses pending benefit requests for people listing one of 19 designated countries as birth or citizenship, and mandates re‑reviews of approved benefits for entrants since Jan. 20, 2021, with prioritized interviews and potential ICE referrals within 90 days.
USCIS clarifies that the hold on "benefit requests" includes cases such as Forms I‑485, I‑90, N‑470, I‑751 and I‑131, yet it does not stop screening activities like credible‑fear or reasonable‑fear assessments.
Applicability is based on country of birth or citizenship rather than passport alone, which can reach dual nationals and long‑term residents connected to the listed countries.
Beginning Dec. 15, the State Department will extend its online‑presence review to all H‑1B applicants and H‑4 dependents, requiring public social‑media profiles and potentially lengthening consular processing through added administrative review.
DHS reduced Employment Authorization Document validity to 18 months effective Dec. 5 for refugees, asylees, pending asylum or adjustment applicants and related categories to allow more frequent vetting, a shift that analysts warn could increase backlogs and create work‑authorization gaps.